Alohomora
by Sherry
Summary: The door to the wizarding world has been opened. Muggles have discovered them. What will the Hogwarts students do?
1. Open The Door

Alohomora 

Open The Door

A/N : Yes, it's me. Anyway, I decided to answer Flourish's April fanfic challenge although it was too late! It was a good idea. All characters except Rob, Amanda, Kylie, Candy and Alicia belong to me. This first chapter is not too good, but... what can I say? I'll develop it later on!

N.B. : Alicia is not Alicia Spinnet. Her name is Alicia Blake. She just popped into my head.

The Gryffindor common room was almost empty, save a few students who were staying back for the Christmas holidays. Harry and Ron sat lazily by the fire, playing Exploding Snap. Hermione was, as usual, in the library, but she had promised to come and join them in a few minutes. 

'I bet the first thing Hermione says when she comes in will be "We're nearing the exams and you two are still playing Snap?"' Ron said, tossing his cards on the table. Harry rolled his eyes. 

'You're obsessed with her, aren't you?' he said. 

Ron stared at him. 'No!! What are you saying?' 

Harry groaned. 'Yeah, right, for the past few days it's been Hermione this and Hermione that.' He imitated Ron: '"Hermione says you get better results with porcupine quills." "Hermione should come out here and let go of those books for a moment." "I bet the first thing Hermione says when she comes in…"' He looked hard at Ron, whose ears were turning bright red. 

At that very moment Hermione walked into the room, a pile of books in her arms. 'We're nearing the exams and you two are still playing Snap?' she uttered, gazing at the messy pile of cards on the table. Ron and Harry began to laugh. 'What's so funny?' 

She sat down next to them. 'My parents sent me a letter by owl – their first,' she continued, taking an envelope out of her pocket. 'I haven't had time to open it yet.' She carefully slit open the envelope, Harry and Ron watching with little interest. 

'Gosh, Hermione,' Harry teased her, 'it's so busy these days that we haven't been able to _read_ our _letters_ because we have to _study_ so much. It isn't like we're having _holidays_.' She rolled her eyes at him, and continued to slit open the envelope. Taking out the letter, she began to read it. Harry gathered the cards into a neat pile and tapped them with his wand. They began to whisk from one end of the deck to the other, as though someone with invisible hands was shuffling them. 

'Self-Shuffling?' Ron asked interestedly. 'Nice one.' 

'Uh-huh,' Harry said, gathering them up when they stopped. He began to deal out the cards. 

A sudden gasp from Hermione stopped him in the middle of putting down his first card. 

'What's wrong, Hermione?' he asked. 

Her face had gone paper-white and the hand holding the letter was trembling. 'Hermione,' Ron asked, 'is something the matter?' 

'My – my parents,' Hermione said in little more than a whisper, 'the – n-news…' 

Harry snatched the letter from her hands while Ron pestered her on the cause of her shock. He read it. It was a rather short epistle: 

_Dear Hermione, _

_ _

_How are you? We've been rather busy today – had a cartload of children coming to get their braces fixed – holidays and all that – but we decided to write you anyway because something serious has happened. _

_When you first went to Hogwarts you stressed that we must never tell anyone about the 'wizarding world'. Unfortunately, last night on the news we heard that practically the whole world had found out about it. Ted Juniper, the news reader, gave a report on it. Minister of Magic has contacted Tony Blair – what's his name – Fludge or something like that. _

_I hope this news isn't too shocking for you, Hermione, but we felt you ought to know if it is really that important to you that the wizarding world remains a secret to the rest of the world. But surely if there are other children from normal families in Hogwarts, many people know about this world anyway? _

_ _

_Hope you're keeping well. Hope to see you soon – Mum and Dad. _

_ _

'Oh,' he said, stunned, gazing at the letter. 'Oh.' 

'You see?' Hermione said to him. 'The whole _world_ knows about this! This is terrible! This is…' she trailed off. Ron grabbed her wrists. 

'What is it?' he asked her once again. 'You still haven't told me…' Harry gave him the letter. He read it through with an open mouth, then turned to Hermione. 

'Is it true?' 

Hermione rounded on him. 'Of course it's true! Why else do you think my parents would go so far as to send me this letter? _By owl_?' Ron took two steps back, and Hermione glared at him. 

'Maybe we should go and see Dumbledore,' Harry suggested. 

Candy settled comfortably onto the sofa, flipping on the television. She flicked past the sports channels, coming at last to the news. She yawned slightly, tired from the events of the day. She had gone for track practice, run around and around the track, and then had a meeting with her school newsletter staff. 

' …groundbreaking news,' she heard the news reader say. 'Dragons have been sightedflying through the whole of the country. A Miss Matilda Thompson swears she saw one land in her back garden very briefly and then fly away into the sky and past the other houses.' 

Candy sat, stunned, glued to her seat. 

'An owl arrived in Mr. Tony Blair's house this afternoon and dropped off a letter – yes, a letter – for the Prime Minister himself.' The news reader grinned. 'It was addressed to him by a Mr. Fudge, the Minister of Magic.' His grin widened, and then he sobered. 'Quite a few people have been injured by the flames breathed by these fairy-tale creatures.' 

'Mum! Dad!' Candy hollered from her seat. 'Come watch the news!' There was no reply, so she turned back to the screen and watched. 

'Apparently the sudden outbreak of these dragons was the outcome of an experiment that went awry,' Ted Juniper went on. 'Wizards and witches _do_ exist, after all – they live in the 'wizarding world', and this experiment was meant to create a tame dragon which did not breathe fire. Unfortunately, this experiment produced four dozen dragons which breathe even deadlier flames than the ordinary species. 

'And now we come to an extraordinary conclusion – there is a world where wizards and witches do exist. They have magical solutions for many human problems. Although much of the community is expected to feel rather apprehensive dealing with these people, government officials, including the Queen Mother, are working to come to an agreement with the Ministry of Magic. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather reports.' 

Candy got up rather slowly, her head spinning with excitement. She went to her room and flung the window open, hoping to see a dragon or two fly by. But although she stared for almost an hour, she saw nothing but curious little birds flying past her window – one or two stopped to perch on the gate. 

While Harry, Ron and Hermione were heading for his office, an owl dropped a letter on Dumbledore's head. He recognised it at once – a letter from Fudge, the Minister of Magic. Frowning, he opened it. 

Fawkes screeched from his perch. Dumbledore put a finger to his lips and began to read the letter. It was an outpouring of worry and pleas for advice. He shook his head slowly. '_The Muggles have discovered us_!' Fudge had written. '_We were on the news… I've contacted the Prime Minister of Britain… This is terrible. The whole world knows about the wizarding community_!' 

Sunlight glinted off Dumbledore's half-moon glasses as he pondered the outcome of their current situation. It would be far, far too difficult to attempt Memory Charms on the whole world. What – 

Minerva McGonagall marched into his office, with Harry, Ron and Hermione behind her. 'They wanted to see you, sir,' she said. Dumbledore stood up, and she took a seat in the corner, leaving the three to stand in front of Dumbledore. 

'What seems to be the problem?' 

Meekly Hermione held out her letter. 

Dumbledore read it through, muttering to himself and nodding at times. Then he returned it to Hermione, and asked them to sit down. 

'I have just received a letter from Fudge,' he said. 'He tells me the same thing. He has sent an owl to the Prime Minister – this is urgent. The rampage of dragons may never stop. Already I fear they are reproducing.' 

'Sir,' Hermione said in a small voice, 'sir, if there are so many Muggle-born children in Hogwarts, will it really make a difference if the rest of the population finds out about us?' 

Dumbledore sighed heavily. 'Yes, it does,' he said quietly. 'It does. The Muggles will come to us for magical ways to solve all our problems – so the newsreader said, even – and we'll be overflowed. Some will hunt us down, killing every one of us that they can find. Some, of course, will accept us, but there are precious few who –' He paused, and went on. 'I will just say this – it is a terrible thing to have Muggles know about us.' 

'Will this affect Hogwarts, sir?' Harry asked, a cold feeling rising in the pit of his stomach. Would it have to close down? Would he have to return to Stonewall High? He didn't think he would be able to live. He felt almost like Tom Riddle. 

'Who knows, Harry,' Dumbledore said, sighing heavily. 'Who knows.' 

'Mum, witches and wizards _do _exist,' Candy pestered her mother. 'I heard it on the news yesterday.' Her mother, in the middle of driving, shook her head. 

'Candace…' 

'But I heard it!' Candy pestered. 'Is it true, Mum?' 

'How would I know, Candy? If you want to get to Alicia's house without any accidents, you'd better sit still in the back seat now.' 

Mutinously Candy crossed her arms. They pulled into Alicia's driveway without any problems, other than a scratch on the bumper of the black Volvo. Alicia was one of Candy's best friends. 

'Hi, Alicia!' she called. 'Alicia!' 

A tall, black-haired girl ran up to the car, taking Candy's bag. 'Hello, Candy!' she said. 'Hello, Mrs. Stewart. Thank you for bringing Candy over.' 

'Did you watch last night's news?' Candy demanded as soon as her mother had pulled away from the house. 

'Yes, I did! I can't believe that witches and wizards really do exist…' Alicia replied, taking Candy into the house. 'They sound _horrible_. I mean, who would want them around us? They'd be playing tricks on us and doing that sort of thing – nasty spells to help them win everything, too.' 

Candy sat down with her friend, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. 'I think they sound great. But I don't think my mother is going to believe it.' Alicia laughed and handed her a can of Coke. 'Anyway, Alicia… you told me there was a surprise for me upstairs.' 

'Oh, right!' Alicia said, tugging her by the wrist and leading her up the stairs. 'Keep this quiet, OK? I don't think my mother would want to know that I bought it.' 

Once they were in her room, Alicia opened a little brown box that she kept on her desk. Inside was a strange, old-fashioned silver key with blue wings on it. It lay still and silent in the box. 

'I bought it at the school fair a while ago,' Alicia told her, her black eyes gleaming. 'Isn't it beautiful?'

Candy picked it up. 'It's heavy!' she commented. 'But it's nice-looking. What are the wings for?' 

'I don't know,' Alicia said. 'They're decorations, I suppose.' At that moment the wings began to flutter ever so slightly. 'Look, Candy!' The girls bent over the little key, prodding it gently. 

Suddenly the key began to rise in the air, high above the heads of the two astonished girls. It flew around the room and veered dangerously close to the window. 'Catch it, Candy!' Alicia cried, anxiously jumping up and grabbing at it. The girls jumped and snatched, but the key was too quick for them.

The key flew down low near the cupboard, and quick as thought Candy slammed her palm onto it. It was squashed against the cupboard. She took it in her hand, but it began to wriggle, and she stuck it into the cupboard lock to keep it from falling out of her hand. Idly, she turned it, and the cupboard door actually locked. 

'Wait a minute – how did the key _fit_ in there, in the first place?' Alicia said, staring at it. 'How did it turn, then?' Candy turned it again with shaking fingers, and pulled open the cupboard door. 

Inside the empty cupboard there was a strange button that said, 'Push Me'. 

Candy reached for it, but Alicia grabbed her hand. 'Wait, Candy! It might be a trick! Don't _ever_ push that kind of button!' 

But Candy turned to her friend with shining eyes. 'Don't you _see_, Alicia?' she said. 'This is obviously magic! Who knows what could happen to us? It's an adventure. _Please_?' 

Without further ado she pushed the button, and it disappeared. Then four more buttons appeared on the back wall. They were red, blue, yellow and green – the red said Gryffindor, the blue Ravenclaw, the yellow Hufflepuff and the green Slytherin. 

'What do you think these are?' Candy asked Alicia, but her friend shrugged, fearful. Candy pushed the first button. 

The room began to darken. Alicia screamed and held on to her friend. Just before everything went black Candy grabbed the strange key from the lock. The floor was spinning. The girls felt giddy and sick. Bright lights began to flash around them. And just as suddenly, the room went dark. 

As Harry, Ron and Hermione returned to their common room, they were greeted with a strange sight. The three others who had stayed back for the holidays were gathered round two unconscious girls lying in a heap on the floor. 

'Who're they?' Ron breathed, kneeling down beside them. Hermione shook the shoulder of the black-haired girl. 

'Wake up,' she said. 

The girl opened one eye, screamed at the sight of Hermione in her school robes, and promptly fainted again. 

Harry shook his head, laughing a little. Hermione looked so indignant that he couldn't help it. Ron stood up and looked at Hermione. 'What's wrong?' he asked, and Harry snickered. 

He shook the blonde girl. 'Hello,' he said in a loud voice. 'Are you with us?' One of the other boys, a seventh year called Rob, snickered. The other two, who were girls – a girl called Amanda and another called Kylie – rolled their eyes. 

She opened her eyes. She was actually quite pretty, Harry thought, but he wouldn't say she was as pretty as Cho Chang. She stared wide-eyed at him for a moment, then sat up. She was very thin and rather small. 

'Where am I?' she asked. Harry groaned. Amanda and Kylie pulled her to her feet, and she gazed at the fire, at the pack of cards, at the strange robes that the others wore. 'Wait a minute – don't tell me I'm in the wizarding world?' she said, in a strangely excited voice. Harry nodded, frowning. 

'_Wow_!' she uttered. 'You all were on the news yesterday!' 

'You're a _Muggle_?' Rob asked her, wide-eyed. 'I mean… a human? And what do you mean, on the news?' 

'The nightly news,' the blonde girl said, frowning in her turn. 'Didn't you lot know? Yes, I am a human – aren't you? – and the whole world just found out that you existed last night. My name is Candace, by the way… what's a Muggle?' 

'Oh, no,' chorused Amanda and Kylie. 

Hermione was still trying to awaken the black-haired girl. 'Hel-_lo_,' she said very loudly. 'WAKE UP!' 

Finally she marched off, leaving the others staring after her. 

Ron moved over to the black-haired girl. 'Hello,' he said, much more softly than Hermione. 'Wake up.' Rob laughed at him, but turned back to the blonde girl. Amanda and Kylie clustered round the unconscious girl and shook her. 

'Stand back,' came Hermione's voice, and instinctively they all moved back. Cold water splashed down from the bucket in her hands onto the black-haired girl's face. She spluttered, and opened her eyes. 

'_Finally_,' said Hermione, 'you're awake. Who are you?' 

The girl stood up to face her, reeling a little, and Ron caught her. 'Who are _you_?' she asked when Ron let her go. 'What am I doing here?' 

'You're in Hogwarts, my dear girl,' Hermione told her, 'and I'm Hermione Granger.' 

'I'm Alicia Blake,' the girl said. 'Where's Candy?' 

Hermione pointed. 

Alicia turned back to her after a moment. 'Where – _what_ is Hogwarts? Where am I anyway? Am I still in England?' 

'Yes,' Hermione said. 'Are you a Muggle?' 

Harry took her away at that point and let Candy explain to the flustered Alicia. Then he took the girls to Professor McGonagall. 


	2. Trouble Begins

Alohomora 2 

Trouble Begins 

A/N : Me again. I've just been watching Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer obsessed with fish, reflections and ape men; maybe Draco will be too... hahaha. This part kinda sucks... I'll make the next part better, I promise! A little Ron/Hermione... Harry/Hermione shippers, please no flames. Thanks to those who reviewed Alohomora! I'm not British. If I ever get around to uploading my photograph, you'll be able to tell. 

Disclaimer : All characters except Candy and Alicia belong to J. K. Rowling. The Prime Minister of Britain and the other 'officials' belong to themselves. 

Candy and Alicia stood in front of a tall, dark-haired woman with her hair in a bun - she looked rather severe, but kind. Harry stood behind them. 'They say they're from the Muggle world, Professor,' he explained, and the woman looked at them sharply. 

'What are Muggles?' Alicia began, but fell silent after a hiss from Candy. 

'Hmm. Come with me.' The professor brought them up and down numerous staircases through strange corridors. There were a few other students wandering aimlessly in the corridors. The woman stopped at a door, opened it and entered an empty classroom with the girls and Harry in tow. 

'I am Professor McGonagall. You are from the mortal world?' she asked them sharply. Harry perched on a desk, watching them; the girls and the professor stood, facing each other. Harry looked from one to the other. The girl named Candace was very fair, with long fair hair, smooth pale skin and frost-blue eyes, and was thin and petite, but undoubtedly around his age. The other girl - Alicia - was taller and her hair was dark, with dark-blue eyes to match. Candy looked more confident than Alicia. 

'Yes,' Candy answered. 

The professor's face grew more serious than before. 'How did you get here?' 

'I'm sure _I _don't know,' Alicia burst out. 'I had a key and Candy put it in the cupboard lock and when we opened it there were buttons and she pressed one and some more appeared and she pressed Gryffindor and everything went black and we were here and a brown-haired girl splashed water on me...' She trailed off. Harry began to laugh; he couldn't help it. She glared at him, and went on, 'Anyway, where is 'here'? I want to go home.' 

'Could you repeat that, please?' 

Candy told the story calmly. She looked as though she was enjoying herself. Professor McGonagall nodded, frowning. 'This is a matter for Dumbledore,' she muttered. 

'Who's -' Alicia stopped as Candy kicked her. 

Just then, Ron and Hermione burst in, arguing about something or other. They caught sight of Harry and their professor, and immediately Hermione burst out, '_There_ you are! We've been looking for you for ages!' Ron was puffing; Hermione wasn't. 'We found a key in the fireplace, Professor! Is it a Hogwarts key?' She held out an old-fashioned silver key with blue wings. She was holding on tight - the key was fluttering and trying to escape from her hand. 

Professor McGonagall took the key from her and examined it closely. Harry, Ron and Hermione watched her, as did the two Muggle girls. 

'No,' she said finally. 

'Hogwarts?' Alicia said, and darted away as Candy's foot flew out again. 

'That's our key, um… Professor McGonagall,' Candy said politely. 'It's the key that brought us here. Alicia bought it, so it's actually hers.' 

The professor was paying no attention. She was scrutinising the key, turning it over in her hands. Suddenly she produced a wand from her robes and cried out a strange word. Candy and Alicia watched in amazement as bluebell flames engulfed the key. 

Finally Alicia said, 'That's _my_ key! Why did you burn it?' She watched its bright blue wings flutter and die, shrivel up into ash. She looked upset. 'I spent pounds on that thing!' She poked a finger gingerly at the ash that now lay on the table nearby. 'How did it burn up? I thought it wouldn't catch…' 

'Alicia,' Candy warned. 

Hermione gathered up the ash and put it carefully in a box that had carried chalk, first emptying out all the chalk onto the ledge of the blackboard. 'It may come in handy,' she explained, handing the box to her professor, who took it gravely. Ron was staring open-mouthed at them. 

For the first time, it seemed, Alicia and Candy noticed Ron. 'Who's –' Alicia began for the umpteenth time, but was stopped by a hand over her mouth. Ron was staring at them, and at Hermione, who was staring at him. 

'What's wrong?' Harry asked, with a tinge of amusement in his voice. 

'Nothing,' Ron said, backing up slightly. 'This is all very strange.' 

Professor McGonagall was opening the classroom door. 'Back to the common room, all of you,' she said, in a voice that meant 'no arguing'. 'The girls must be tired. Show them to the dormitory.' She conjured up two plates of food for the girls, who found they were famished. She went the opposite way, hurrying as though her shoes were winged. 

They were hurried up stairs and down stairs, and could hardly keep upright as they were swooped down a stair that flattened itself out whenever anyone set foot on it. Alicia walked head first into a door, which yelled, 'Watch where you're going, clumsy!' and she stared at it in indignation. Harry laughed; he had seen the exact same look on Hermione's face before. The girls nearly shrieked as they walked straight into Nearly-Headless Nick, who didn't even notice them as he hurried away. 

'It's winter, I know,' shivered Alicia, 'but I didn't know it snowed inside.' 

'That was Nearly-Headless Nick,' Ron said, 'but he's never in such a hurry usually. It's strange. Don't worry, it's always like that walking into a ghost.' 

'A ghost!' the two girls exclaimed in unison. 

Hermione let out an exaggerated sigh. 

'There are ghosts in this castle, didn't you know?' Ron asked them innocently. 

Hermione let out an even bigger sigh. 

'I promise I can believe six impossible things before breakfast,' Candy said, shuddering, 'but right now, I don't think so.' 

'We'd better get them to the girls' dorm,' Harry said. 'They need a rest.' 

'You can eat when we're in the common room,' Hermione told Alicia, who was eyeing her sandwich hungrily. 

They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, who yawned and asked, 'Password?' 

'Fantasia,' Hermione said, and the portrait swung open to reveal the familiar Gryffindor common room. Hermione took the girls to the dorm, and Harry and Ron sat down by the fire, warming their hands.

'What d'you think is going to happen?' Ron asked, as Hermione came out of the dorm and into the common room. 

'I don't know,' said Harry, as he yawned. 'But I think it's going to be interesting. Anyone have any more of those Chocolate Frogs?'

Meanwhile, Minerva McGonagall was hurrying to Dumbledore's office. She practically ran, her wand clutched in her hand, and said the necessary password; she entered his office without further ado. Fawkes the phoenix was on his perch as usual, and Dumbledore was reading a letter rather calmly.

'Yes, Minerva?' he said.

'There are two children from the Muggle world in the school, Albus,' she said breathlessly. 'It was the key. The Key of Entry. One of the secret keys that the Hogwarts founders created years ago. It's been missing from our vault like the others have, for ages...' She took out the chalk-box gingerly. 'Look, Albus. I burnt it.'

'A spell?' Dumbledore asked curiously, leaning forward.

'Yes. Some joker, perhaps... whoever it was cast a Disappearing Charm on it. Must have appeared suddenly when the person died - then some idiot of a Muggle found it and tried to sell it... Who knows what other spells that idiot may have set off.' She was busy pouring the little pile of ashes onto the table. 'Here... I'll reconstruct it. The burning should have cleared it of all spells.'

'Good.' Dumbledore's blue eyes were alert, and he was sitting up straight. He watched as a jet of light shot towards the pile of ashes, and they rose in the air, slowly forming a key. A silver key, with blue wings that fluttered. McGonagall caught it and trapped it in the chalk-box again, and handed it to Dumbledore.

'Where are the girls now?' he asked.

'In the Gryffindor dorm,' Minerva replied.

'All right.' Dumbledore sighed. 'I'm sure the Prime Minister of Britain is not pleased. We've contacted him twice already. I'm sure he remembers Black. Fudge is, as usual, flustered. There have been three deaths since yesterday.'

'The dragons?' Minerva asked.

'Yes. The Prime Minister has been asking whether he can fly to Hogwarts on an airplane. Fudge told him to see me.' Dumbledore gave a short laugh. 'Ridiculous. As we predicted, Minerva, some officials have been pestering us on whether we can't cure cancer. They're beginning to get ideas. Fudge received a letter from someone who wanted a way to get to work on time - goodness knows how he received the address.'

'Is it that bad, Albus?'

Dumbledore nodded. 'A team of skilled wizards is working on a massive Memory Charm, and another team, comprised of some specialists in Care of Magical Creatures - you remember Charlie Weasley? - are working on capturing the dragons.' 

'That's good.'

'Yes.' Dumbledore looked thoughtful. 'And I have received some bad news for Miss Hermione Granger.'

Hermione opened her eyes, and immediately remembered the two other girls sleeping in the dorm. She rolled over and climbed out of bed. They were still fast asleep. She did not wake them up, just got dressed and tiptoed out of the room. She was in a good mood. 

'Harry! Ron!' she called. They were by the fire alone, talking earnestly; when she called, they turned around, looking extremely guilty. 

'What's wrong?' she asked. 

'N-nothing.' 

She sat down with them, glaring at them curiously. 'The girls are still asleep,' she told them. 

'So is Neville,' Harry answered. 'Do you know that it's Christmas Eve?' 

Ron said nothing, just stared at Hermione. 'What is it?' she snapped, annoyed, but he shook his head and glanced down at his shoes. The tips of his ears were red. Harry glanced at his friend sympathetically. Hermione frowned, her good mood evaporating slightly, and got up to check on the Muggle girls. 

She entered the dorm, and there they were - the fair one on Parvati's bed, and the dark-haired one on Lavender's. The fair-haired girl - Candace, Hermione reminded herself for the thousandth time - was propped up on one elbow, watching her. 

'Morning,' Hermione greeted her. 

'Hi,' Candy replied. 

'Are you hungry?' Hermione asked her. 'Is your friend awake?' 

'Alicia,' Candy said. 'No, she's still asleep. Thanks for letting us sleep here. Is there any way we can get back home?' 

'Not just yet,' Hermione said. 

'OK.' The fair-haired girl seemed to accept this, and got up. Hermione directed her to the bathroom and told her to return to the common-room. She sat, waiting, on a bed, for Alicia to awake. 

Nothing happened. The dark-haired girl let out a little snore. 

Hermione crossed to Lavender's bed and shook Alicia. 'Wake up,' she hissed in her ear. Alicia stirred, then opened one eye. She screamed. 

'Now don't start _that_ again,' Hermione chided her, as she shook Alicia's shoulders. 'No fainting.' 

Alicia groaned. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. Hermione pulled her off the bed none too gently, and directed her to the bathroom, giving her the same instructions as she had given Candace. She felt quite sure that she was going to like Candace better than Alicia. 

The few remaining students sat in the Great Hall, having breakfast. Candy and Alicia were at the table too, seated on either side of Hermione; Alicia was next to Ron, and she was talking to him about the Muggle world. He looked distinctly uncomfortable and kept looking at Hermione. Candy was next to Harry, and he was telling her about the wizarding world. Hermione, in the middle, looked rather grouchy. 

Two owls flew in, one to a small boy with dark hair and strange light-coloured eyes, and another to Hermione. She took the letter from it eagerly. 'My parents must've replied! I wrote back to them, you know... that was fast...' 

She took the letter, but put it by the side of her plate after a moment's hesitation, as though wishing to save it for later. She resumed her meal, watching Alicia chatter to Ron. She frowned at her plate. She couldn't _stand_ Alicia, for more than one reason; ever since she'd come Hermione had found her amazingly irritating. Ron and Harry didn't seem to mind her. Hermione looked sourly at the remains of her breakfast. At least Candace seemed all right. She was intelligent and didn't talk quite so much... Hermione looked down at her feet under the table - Alicia had kicked her accidentally. 

Professor Dumbledore got up from his seat suddenly, and crossed to their little table. He paused behind Hermione, who stood up nervously, wondering what the problem could be. 

'Miss Granger?' he said, and she was startled by his tone. 'Could you come with me, please?' 

She got up, and went with him and Professor McGonagall to an empty classroom, leaving behind the curious stares of Candy, Alicia, Harry and Ron. She heard Alicia begin, 'Who's -' and was glad that she was away from her for a while. They entered the classroom and Hermione sat down, nervously clasping her hands. Professor McGonagall sat down beside her. 

'Miss Granger,' Dumbledore began, looking straight at her, 'I'm afraid there is bad news.' 

'W-what?' Hermione quavered, her hands locked together so tightly that she could not tell one finger from the other. Her grades - she was slipping. In Flitwick's class she had received a mark of only 110% on his quiz - she was going to be chastised. Or was it that... 

'Do you remember the dragons?' Dumbledore asked her. 

The dragons. It couldn't be all that bad... 

'Miss Granger,' he went on, 'I'm afraid your parents - your parents were killed yesterday by one of the dragons. I'm very sorry.' 

Hermione felt Professor McGonagall's hand grasp her arm in a comforting gesture, but she hardly comprehended. Her parents. Her mother and father. They were _dead_? 

The world began to spin around her. Her parents. No. It wasn't possible. 'Can't,' she whispered. No! It couldn't be true. Her parents were not dead - not dead... 

She felt McGonagall's hand on her arm. She was led out, shaking, to the Gryffindor common room. 

Harry and Ron had led the Muggle girls back to the common room, puzzled over what had detained Hermione. 'She's probably got the highest mark in the school again,' Ron said. 'Probably been asked to transfer.' 

'But she won't,' Harry said with utter conviction. 

'You sure?' 

'Yeah...' 

Just then, as they began to talk, Hermione and McGonagall entered the common room through the portrait hole. The professor was holding on to Hermione, who looked as though the bottom had dropped out of her world. Harry and Ron sprang up and ran toward her. Seeing them, Professor McGonagall released Hermione gently, and told them what had happened. Hermione collapsed onto the floor, sitting with her knees hunched up. 

'Take care of her,' the professor told them, her face unusually gentle; Ron and Harry half-carried her to an armchair and made her sit down. Amanda and Kylie came over to look at her; her face was paper-white. 

'Hermione!' Harry said. 

She didn't answer; her face was hidden. 

'Hermione,' Ron tried. 'Say something!' 

She uncovered her face, dry-eyed but pale as a ghost. 'My parents, Ron,' she said in a hollow voice. 'They're dead.' And then she began to cry, the tears trickling silently down her face. In swift concern Ron looked at Harry, who looked pale himself, and put his arms around Hermione. She sobbed into his shoulder. Awkwardly Ron patted her on the back. 'It'll be all right, Hermione,' he told her. 

'No. No, it won't.' She was clinging to him now. 'My parents are dead!' She cried anew, and Amanda and Kylie took her from Ron and into the girl's dorm. Candy and Alicia had been watching from a tactful distance, and now they came up to stand by Harry and Ron, their faces drawn with concern. 

'Is she OK?' Candy asked Harry. 

'Not really,' Harry said, and the girls entered the dorm tentatively. Hermione sat on her bed, empty-eyed, gazing at the wall. 

'Her-Hermione?' Alicia asked. 

'Go away,' Hermione choked out. Amanda and Kylie had gone, no doubt chased away by Hermione. 

'We're really sorry about - what happened,' Candy said tentatively. 

Hermione flopped on the bed, her face to the ceiling. 'Why?' she whispered, in a voice that wasn't hers. 'Why?' Her thin, strong fingers were locked together. Alicia and Candy knelt on either side of her, letting her cry for a little while, and then Alicia spoke: 

'It could have been worse, you know.' 

Another irritating statement! Typical, ran Hermione's confused thoughts. She began to laugh. The Muggle girls looked at each other uncertainly. 

'It hit me after breakfast!' Hermione was laughing and crying now, and Candy grasped one of her hands. 'It hit me _after_ breakfast. It hit me AFTER breakfast. Six impossible things, and I can only believe before breakfast!' She stopped abruptly, and whispered, 'But it's hard to believe now. Are - are my parents really dead?' 

Alicia nodded slowly, looking terrified. 

'It isn't true.' Hermione's face was contorted. 'I can't believe it. Please tell me - it isn't true.' She had closed her eyes, and the hand that Candy held was twitching. 

'We'd better call in her friends,' Alicia whispered. 

They tiptoed out and called Harry and Ron, who entered the girls' dorm very quietly. 

'Hermione?' Harry said. 

There was no answer. Hermione's eyes were closed. Ron touched her hand. 'Hermione?' 

'Better to let her sleep it off,' advised Professor McGonagall, coming up behind them. She didn't seem to realise that there were two boys in the dorm - she was smoothing Hermione's hair. Harry and Ron knelt by her bed, their faces creased with worry. 'She'll feel better in the morning.' She walked out of the dorm, looked back at Hermione, and left the common room. 

Ron clasped her cold hand in his. 'Don't worry, Hermione,' he whispered. 'It'll be all right. I promise.' 


End file.
